Canon ups digital convergence ante with 4K EOS-1D C and EOS C500

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With the back and forth between Nikon and Canon models for title of DSLR king, it is easy to forget Canon’s strong heritage in high-end video — which it is now bringing to bear on its digital convergence offerings. Canon is upgrading its Cinema line of pro digital video cameras with two new models featuring full 4K (4096×2160) image capture. The Canon EOS-1D C (estimated to cost $15,000) is an enhanced-video version of its new flagship EOS-1D X, and the C500 ($30,000) is a planned 4K upgrade of the C300.

Canon EOS-1D C: When 1080p just isn’t enough

Just when most of us were breathing a sigh of relief that 1080p finally seems to have become nearly universal — with support in almost every serious camera and TV — trendsetters in digital video have been moving to double the resolution with a 4K format. Until now Red, with its Epic cameras has been the hot name in 4K-and-above video. With its new models, Canon is looking to take a chunk out of that market.

The EOS-1D C can capture 4K video in 8-bit (4:2:2) motion JPEGs at up to 24 fps — enough for traditional filmmaking, but not enough for high-frame-rate projects. Filmmakers impressed by Canon’s Log Gamma encoding, designed to increase shadow detail on the Canon C300, will be happy to see it incorporated in the EOS-1D C. The camera’s ISO range has also been bumped up to 25,600, and Canon claims lower noise than in the X version throughout the ISO range.

Lost in the hoopla over 4K capture is a more subtle but equally important upgrade: The 1D-X C can capture 1080p at 60 frames per second (fps). The EOS-1D X is limited to 30 fps when capturing full HD, making it less capable for capturing non-interlaced video, or for use with the emerging high-frame-rate 3D technologies. The C model also gains the ability to mirror its output over HDMI. The strobe connection on the X has been replaced with a headphone jack, for monitoring audio while recording, on the C version.

For those who still want to capture images one frame at a time, the EOS-1D C features an 18.2-megapixel full-frame sensor, capable of image capture at a blistering 12 fps. However, the $15,000 price tag of the EOS-1D C, for still image performance similar to the much less expensive EOS-1D X, means that photographs are unlikely to be a primary need for anyone buying the “C” model.

Canon C500: For the videographer who has everything

An upgrade to Canon’s mouth-watering C300 — a gem, but “only” capable of recording video at 1080p — the C500 now supports full 4K capture at speeds up to 60 fps. For high-end film and video, the planned C500 adds support for full frame uncompressed raw output, even at 4K resolution — allowing filmmakers the most flexibility in post-processing.

Dual CompactFlash slots in the C500 can be used for recording at 1080p, but for 4K you’ll need to supply your own external recording device. Perhaps this is one area where the newer, faster, XQD card standard — currently only available from Sony, and used by Nikon in their flagship D4 — may come in handy for future products. Like the C300, the C500 will be available both with a Canon-standard EF lens mount and in a PL version, featuring the Positive Lock lens mount commonly used in cinematography.

The C500 also offers an intriguing “half-raw” output at high speed, capturing 4096×1080 video at 120 fps. Even if you have the estimated $30,000 the C500 will cost burning a hole in your pocket you’ll have to wait. Canon, although showing a prototype this week at NAB, hasn’t said when the camera will become available, stating only that it’ll announce more later this year.

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